Is Samsung going to ditch Android?

Samsung look like they might be ditching Android as they launch the first Tizen smartphone. Of course, recently, they released the Linux-based Samsung Gear 2 smartwatch and now, the Samsung Z will be on a rival platform to Google.

This new device will be on sale in Russia next month, before rolling out elsewhere. Will this be a hit with consumers? Samsung are gambling here as their previous solo attempts, with their own OS called Bada, was a huge flop.

Android apps can run on Tizen, but as we've seen with Amazon's skinned version of Android, Google aren't too happy when people don't submit to them, and limit what they offer. With Tizen being open-source, Samsung will be hoping that developers take to it as another platform to play with. Some people have said that Tizen provides better support for HTML5.

"The Samsung Z integrates the power and adaptability of the Tizen platform, enabling users to browse the web faster and utilize applications more effectively," said D.J. Lee, Samsung's head of global sales and marketing.